Some useful Elvish word and phrases

compiled by Ninni M Pettersson

Mellonath Daeron has for some time laboured in compiling a list of handy Elvish
words and phrases for the use of the Forodrim (The Stockholm Tolkien Society).
Below are some of the more useful or funny ones we have discovered or constructed
to date.

For brief subject-oriented vocabularies in Quenya and Sindarin, see also Ardalambion's
Taste of Elvish.

S = Sindarin, Q = Quenya, f = feminine, m = masculine

Phrases of greeting

Hello

S Suilad

Lit. 'greeting', can be used in most situations.

Hello

S Mae govannen

Lit. 'well met', used when meeting someone, but not in written messages.

Friend/Friends

S Mellon/Mellyn

A fitting start to a written message to one / more than one person.

A star shines on the hour of our meeting

Q Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo

Live well!

S Cuio mae!

(First recorded usage by D. Daniel Andriës.)

Goodbye

Q Namárie

Be seeing you

Q Tenn' enomentielva

Lit. 'until we meet again'

Many greetings

S Meneg suilaid

Lit. 'thousand greetings', useful for ending written messages.

Useful exclamations

Yes!

Q Tancave! Q Ná!

Lit. 'certainly'. Lit. '[It] is [so]!'

No!

Q Lau!

Thanks!

Q Hantale!

Lit. 'thankgsgiving'.

Listen!

S Lasto!

Don't!

S Baw!

Stop!

S Daro!

Open!

S Edro!

Horray!

Q Alayambo!

Horray! I have found it!

Q Yé! Utúvienyes!

Praise!

S Eglerio! Q A laita!

Cheers!

Q Almien!

Lit. 'to good fortune'.

Into the fog!

Q Hísenna!

This is a Swedish phrase used as an alternative to 'cheers!'

Useful exhortations

Best wishes!

Q Merin sa haryalye alasse!

Lit. 'I wish that you shall possess joy!'

Fare well!

S Cuio nin mellon!

Lit. 'live [and be] to me a friend'.

Fare well!

S Cuio nin mellyn!

Lit. 'live [and be] to me friends'.

Merry Christmas!

Q Ná merye i turuhalmeri!

Lit. 'may the christmas days be joyful'.

Happy Tolkien's birthday!

Q Alasse merendenna i Carmo!

Lit. 'Merriment at the feast of the Subcreator'.

Q Alasse i Lirillon merendenna!

Lit. 'Merriment at the feast of early January'.

Happy New Year!

Q Ná alya i vinya loa!

Lit. 'may the new year be blessed'.

Have a good summer vacation!

Q Nai áre laireva calyuva i falassi!

Lit. 'may summerlike sunshine illuminate the beaches'.

Conversation

I don't speak Quenya.

Q Quetin ú quenyo.

Your hair shines like gold.

Q Findelya cala ve laure.

Come outside with me and look at the constellations.

Q A hótule asinye i meneltannar tirien.

Your place or mine?

Q Mano mardenna?

Take off your clothes and lie down on the bed!

Q A helta ar caita caimanna!

I will love you for better for worse till death us do part.

Q Le meluvan úne ar alye lúmessen tenna nurucilie.

Useful in the Forodrim

Rise for the entrance of the Grand Council!

S Minnar in Ernilath rîn, erio Forodrim!

Lit. 'the crowned princes enter, may Forodrim rise'.

The Grand Council

S (in) Ernilath rîn (Forodrim) Q (i) Carmacundor (Formenyaliéva)

Lit. 'the crowned princes of Forodrim'.

decree

Q canwa

Middle-earth name

Q cilmesse

Lit. 'name of personal choice'.

astronomer

S meneldir Q elentirmo

chirurgeon

S nethron Q nestar

dame

S híril / heryn Q roquen

doyen

S einior Q anyáro

Lit. 'eldest (one)'

earl

S conen Q (f) cáni (m) cáno

editor

S siniathron Q vinyardur

guild

S mellonath Q otornasse / otornas

guildmaster

S herdir Q (f) turce (m) turco

herald

Q tercáno

historian

S gobethron Q lúmequentaro

household

S herth

keeper of the hall

Q mardur / sambetur

keeper of the treasure

Q harmavaryon / harmavaryar

king of arms

S teithir Q turmangolmo / sandangolmo

knight

S rohir Q roquen

librarian

S parvastur Q parmandur

magician

S ithron Q istar

maid of honour

S camwen Q hérince

master of the feast

S merethir

prince, princess

S ernil Q (f) aranel (m) cundu

scribe

S tegilbor Q tecilquar

secretary

S tegor / teithron Q tecar

squire

S magor Q ohtar

treasurer

S maldir Q harwendur

webmaster

S nathron Q natsendur

This document has been online since March 9 1998.
Last updated May 31 2002 by Elros, Måns Björkman.